Resilient bottom for couch-hammocks, &amp;c.



I. E. PALMER.

BBSILIENT BOTTOM FOR COUCH HAMMOGKS, 6w.

. LPPLIGA'IIQN FILED SEPT 8, 1900. 955,352.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

flaws-e101? IsaaaEPalmen UNITED, s'ricr ig Pr-XTENT OFFICE,

ISAAC E. PALMER, OF IVIIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE I. E. PALMER $0., 01? MIDDLETOXVN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

RESIlZIENT BOTTOM FOR COUCH-HAMMOCKS, 8.10.

i T a all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, I aac E. PALMER, a citizen of the United States. residing at Middleton in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement. in Resilient Bottoms for Couch Hammocks, &c., of which the. following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification. like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to resilient bottoms for couch hai-mntx'ks aml other structures, and the object thereof is to provide a resilient bottom having a frame and seating, the latter being connected to the frame both longitudinally and laterally in such manner as to permit the seating to yield when subjected to pressure, thereby to support the occupant, comfort ably.

In order that the principles of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single type or embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan View with parts broken away representinga resilient bottom ccn stru'rted in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail cross sectional views repre senting the prefe'able means for laterally connecting the seating to the. frame; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are similar views upon the broken lines 3, 4 and 5 of Fig. l. and representing the position of the partsot' the seating in modified forms of my invention.

lesilient bottoms particularly adapted for use with conch hannnocks and similar structuresare now upon the market. Such devices consist of a frame and a. more. or less flexible seating connected thereto both longitudinally and laterally. Preferably the seating is longitudinally connected to the frame by springs. The lateral springs connecting the seating and frame atl'otd a thoroughly resilient connection between said parts, permitting the seating to yield in use, but add substantially to the expense of the structure. 1 hanconducted numerous experiments with the object of doing away with the lateral springs, but yet connecting the sides of the seating and frame in such manner as to preserve their relative general position inuse, while permitting the seating to yield in use. I have found in the course of such experiments that if I employ enlarged eyes the diameter exceeding the thick- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented. Apr. 19, 1910.

Application filed September 18, 1909. Serial No. 518,380.

ness of the lateral edges of the seating and connect said lateral edges to the longitudinal members of the frame, the seating in use is sutliciently resilient to support the occupant in comfort, because of the fact that the said enlarged eyes permit vertical play of the seating edges therein. The said enlarged eyes may be arranged in or out of transverse alinemeut and cooperate with tlex..le means connecting the ends of the seating and the end members of the frame, such flexible connections being preferal'tly springs which tend to retain the seating level when not subjected to pressure, by bodily raising the. seating, so that the lateral edges thereof are lifted bodily in said vertically enlarged eyes. In this manner, I provide a cheap and yet comfortable and thoroughly satisfactory resilient bottom serving all the purposes etl'ected by those wherein lateral springs are employed. Moreover by the described construction I am enabled to support. the seating in the longitudinal and end members of the frame, so that all the. members of the resilient bottom lie in substantially a single plane, thus permitting the bottom readily to be applied to a couch hammock or similar structure.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have, in i-ig. 1, represented a frame composed of longitudinal members l1 and end meiitbers iZ-- connected thereto in any suitable manner, all of said members being preferably arranged in the same plane, so that the l'rame may be readily applied to and used in connection with a couch hammock or similar structures. While any suitable seating may be employed, )reterably l employ one composed of longitudinal links 3 and trans erse links l connected together by plates 5 having eyes. The seating is provided with end flexible connections preferably in the form of coiled springs (3 connecting the same. to the frame and in this instance directly to the end men'tbers 22 thereof. It is apparent that the number of end springs t' may be varied as desired and that they may be connected to the frame otherwise than to the end members thereof, as, for example, to transversely arranged rods connected to the longitudinal members of the frame adjacent end members "2-2. A

seating connected by longitudinal springs to 5 It is necessary, however, to connect such seating to the longitudinal members 1 of the frame for if the seating be connected only longitudinally it will in use sag below 'd longitudinal members 1+1 to the great discomfort of the user, as the said lozgitudinal meml'icrs ll present ridges if it be attempted tomake use of the entire width of the frame. It is theref re important that the seating be connected to the frame in such manner that in use the seating may give or sag butslightly and in a gentle curve between the side. COHXIQ"[1()H1 In attempting to do away with the side con necting springs between the seating and the frame, l have ascertained that: I ma y accomplish all the results heretofore pointed out. as important. and also permit sutlicicnt yielding of the seating in use by connecting the seating to the frame by eenneetirvices, which may he springh said devices be formed as enlarged eyes. as hereinafter described. to permit the vertical yielding of the seating as an entirety.

In Fig. 2, l have represented what I herein term an enlarged e-'e T, here shown as circular and suitably conueetcd to the ad jacent longitudinal member 1 of the frame, as by eye 5. Any suitable number of these enlzirged eyes may be employed at cal: side of the seating and the lateral edges of the seatin may be connected thereto in any suit-ah manner. Preferably, however, the eyes 5 are directly connected thereto. \lhen the frame is not: subjected to the strain of use, the tension of the end springs 6 elevates the seating so that the lateral edges thereof are lifted to or closely adjacentto the tops of said eyes 7. as imllr'zitutl in Fig. 2. When, however, the sea ing is subjected to the strain. of use, the sprii ti arc distended longitudinally and permit the seating'to be depressed so that the lateral edges thereof slut; in said eyes T in substantially the manner indicated in dotted es in Fig. 5. This vertical depression of the seating, ii'ielutling the side edges thereof, affords a resilient support as the edger of the seating are free to rise and fall or vertically play in said eyes 7 as the weight to which the spring subjected is increased or (limii shed or is shifted by moveuients of theoccu'iaut. In Figs. 3, l and 5, l have ind mted more or loss diagrammatically the positions occupied in said eyes 7 of portions of said seating which a re dili'ez'vnt distances from the and members i. For example, the eye Y in Fig. is closely adjacent the end coiled springs '1, so that even vian the seating is subjected to the strain of use the tt-nsion of the springs (i may be :Ltlllt'ltml, unless the. weight 1. excessive. to maintain the edges of the sea ng above the helium of said eves.

Fig.1. 4 and rcprescnt eves ileat sac- [cessively greater distances front the end member 2, at which points the end Springs 6 permit somewhat. greater depression of the seating therein. The enlarged eyes to which I have referred may at tui-posite sides be arranged either in or out of transverse aliuement, and in use may be combined with other lateral connecting devices.

1 My invention is not lin'zited to the use of any particular shape or type of enlarged eye, the forms herein shown being :nercly illustrative of the scope of my invention; for example, in Fig. 6, I have shown an enlarged eye 9 of substantially triangular arrangcment, which affords less vertical play between the eye and the longitudinal members 1 of the seating. In Fig. 7. 1 have rep resented an enlarged eye 10 formed as a g ho k herein shown as connected by an eye 2 R to the longitudinal member 1. ln Fig. 8, l l'have represented an enlarged eye 11 geni orally similar to that shown in Fig. 6, but Z'(-\"Jl'. tti. in. this case, the vertical play to which 1 have referred ocrurs between the eyes 11 and the longitudinal members 1 of the frame. In the form of my invention represented in Fig. there is more or less I vertical play between the enlarged eve 7 and the supporting eye 8, this being: subsidiary to the vertical play of the seating in the eyes 5. 1n the construrtiou shown in Fig. 5, however, this action is substantially reversed, as the. subsidiary play occurs between the seating .3 and the enlarged eye 11.

It will be apparent front the foregoing description that the bottom is resiliently supported by the end springs t3 and that it sulliciently yielding at its lateral edges to support the occupant in comfort but without permitting displacement of the seating. which wouldpccur were no lateral connections rovided. The enlarged eyes 7 protect the end springs (3 from ovcrstrain when the seating is in use.

llaving tbus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention bein set forth in the following claims.

1. A resilient bottom for couch hammocks and other structures comprising in combination a frame composed of longitudinal and end members, a seating therefor having end flexible connections to the said frame,

and a plurality of connecting devices secured to the longitudinal members of the frame, and each having an enlarged eye of to the said lateral edges, said enlar ed eyes pern'i ttmg vertical play of the seating edges therein.

! lateral edges ol' the seating and connected l 2-. A resilient ID or couch hammocks a diameter exceeding the thicl-zncss of the and other structures comprising in combi- Wmtiona frame composed of iongitndimil and end meinheis, a sealing therefor having and springs connected le -the frmne, nnd a 5 plurality of connecting derives secured to the longitudinal lll'lhjbtl'rijrf the frame and eat-h 1 mg an enlarged eye connected to 'the lateral edges of the senlzng and of a diameter exceeding that of said lateral edges,

10 thereby permiLting the said end springs to draw theseating tuward the upper face of 

